Softball Brings in Transfer Infielder -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Bailee Richardson Joins Louisville in 2024

Daisy Hess will no longer be the only former Georgia State player on the Louisville softball roster next season. Hess's former teammate for the Panthers, Bailee Richardson, will join Louisville as a graduate transfer next season. Last season, Richardson led the team in RBIs (33), doubles (8), home runs (9), and slugging percentage (.551). She was 7 for 7 on stolen bases as well. The infielder joined Georgia State after winning back-to-back state championships in high school and being named the defensive player of the year in 2018. 

Similar to Hess, a lot may be expected of Richardson as a touted glove straight out of the gate. We'll have to see how that turns out, but Richardson will also look to give the Cards a boost in an offense that has more holes than expected after the end of last season. For her career, Richardson was a .310 hitter that totaled 29 home runs, 25 doubles, 107 RBIs, and 89 runs. Hitting for average should transfer pretty well across leagues in softball, and Louisville will definitely need some players that can make the most of their time at the plate after losing an OBP leader in Korbe Otis from last season and an RBI machine in Sarah Gordon. 

2022 GSU Softball with Hess (b. row, 3rd from
right) and Richardson (m. row, 3rd from right)

The addition of Richardson may give an indication of what Louisville intends to do about the catcher position. Richardson played some second base, but it feels safe to say Easton Lotus has that position locked down. Richardson's other regular position was the hot corner at third. Louisville has three players listed with catcher as one of their positions on the 2024 roster. Two are freshmen. The third is Ally Alexander, who has primarily played third for the Cards. Sliding Alexander 60 feet and inserting Richardson alongside her former teammate on the left side of the infield could provide the defense Louisville needs, but things might get thorny if one of the freshmen is a better fit behind the plate. The Cards will get one year of eligibility from Richardson before she and Hess graduate from UofL together.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

We'll still be without Jared this week but we should have plenty of hands on deck to bring you a full show. We'll have some Globl Jam to talk about after missing last week as well as plenty of news and notes about the joy and excitement of Louisville women's athletics from the last couple of weeks. As always, you can check out the live stream of the show by going to the Cardinal Couple YouTube page and clicking on the live video. Jeff usually creates that about an hour before the show, which officially starts at 11 AM Eastern. If the live time doesn't work for you, there are plenty of playback options, so be sure to check out whichever is best for you!

Cardinal Couple YouTube: Link

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Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

UofL Puts Three on D1 Softball All-American Lists -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

With the summer slump getting ready to come for us in full force, it's important for us here at Cardinal Couple to keep you on your toes. As such, you've got Case in the driver's seat today and I'll be back on Saturday. I'm covering for Jared, who shifted to Friday to cover for Daryl, who covered for Paulie yesterday completely outside the confines of our other schedule rework. You've gotta stay flexible around here.

Gordon, Otis, and Roby Honored by D1 Softball

With the announcement of D1 Softball's All-American lists yesterday, the Cards saw three players add to their list of accolades. The publication names three teams as of this year, with a freshman team being added alongside the first and second teams. The normal teams consist of players 1-9 on the diamond along with a two-way player, three additional pitchers, and four utility players. The freshman team didn't name a two-way player but had a total of six pitchers, giving that team one extra spot.

Sarah Gordon was named to that inaugural freshman team, holding down the catcher role. It was a good year for catchers in the state, as UK's Kayla Kowalik took the spot on the second team. The first team catcher was Oklahoma's Kinzie Hansen, one of five Sooners on the first team. OU added two more on the second team to represent seven of the Big 12's nine honorees on the first and second teams. The SEC led the way with ten, and Tennessee played a part in that as the only other team with multiple first teamers (two). 

Taylor Roby and Korbe Otis were both named to the second team, with Otis in the outfield and Roby claiming the two-way spot. Roby and Otis make up half of the ACC delegation in those top-two teams, though the other two players made the first team. Clemson's Valerie Cagle was the first teamer in the two-way spot, which makes sense since she was named the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. FSU's Kathryn Sandercock joined Cagle on the first team in one of the pitcher slots. IU's Taryn Kern just snuck onto the first team, claiming the last utility spot. She had significantly less competition for the 2B slot on the freshman team. Kern was the only freshman to be honored on either the first or second team. Despite their success, OU didn't place any freshman on the list. That said, I wouldn't count on a Sooner drop off in 2024 just yet.

We extend congratulations to Louisville's honorees and look for more exciting things to come from the returning players in 2024. 

Until next time, Go Cards!

-Case

Softball Closes Out Strong Season, What to Expect Next Year -- TUESDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Louisville Softball Closes Out Strong Season, But What to Expect for Next Year

As Paulie broke down in yesterday's article, Louisville softball's season came to an end over the weekend following a rough seventh inning against Indiana. But the season is far from defined by just that seventh inning. The season should be defined by a fourth place finish in the ACC; by the most wins in a season in nearly a decade; by one of the best home run hitting teams in program history.

Louisville finished the year 36-20. The last time the Cards had 36 wins in a year was in 2014, when they went 36-22. The 2014 team went 14-7 in the American Athletic Conference. This year's team went 16-7 in the much-stronger ACC.

The Cards hit .319 as a whole with 470 total hits and 64 home runs, twice as many home runs as opposing teams hit against them. Seven Cardinals hit above .300 and five players recorded at least 50 hits.

On the defensive end, Louisville had a 3.17 ERA as opposed to opposing teams having a 5.51 ERA. The Louisville pitching staff struck out 259 strikeouts while walking only 115 batters.

Where Louisville struggled on the defensive end was the .957 fielding percentage while logging 66 errors. In games where Louisville had multiple fielding errors, they went 6-11. They went 30-9 in games where they had one or fewer errors.

The Cards had win streaks of six, seven, and nine games. Their longest losing streak was five games. Louisville scored 10 or more runs 10 times while giving up double-digit runs six times. They run-ruled opponents 14 times.

Who is Leaving?

With the NCAA entering its final year of COVID-19 extra year eligibility this upcoming season, the confusion of "who is coming back for another year" is nearly gone.

Taylor Roby, Hannah File, and Makayla Hurst all utilized their COVID-19 year this year. Elana Ornelas and Taja Felder are both graduating but neither have hinted at returning next year.

Louisville has relied on Roby a lot in her time with the Cards. One of the nation's best home run hitters, Roby ranks high in the UofL record books in home runs and RBIs. She also has appeared in the record books in pitching.

File spent her final three seasons with the Cards after some time at James Madison and spent much of her time in a Louisville uniform at first base as well as being a factor at the plate.

Hurst, Ornelas, and Felder all filled in needed gaps at times for the Cards. Hurst's on base percentage of .577 was a team high.

Who is Returning?

Most of the starters are back. ACC Freshman of the Year Sarah Gordon is back at catcher. The middle infield will be back in second baseman Easton Lotus and shortstop Daisy Hess. Hess is using her COVID-19 year next season. Ally Alexander, who commanded third base a good chunk of the season, will be back. The entire outfield will be back. Korbe Otis was command the outfield from center field. Paige Geraghty will be back and most likely hold down left field. Vanessa Miller and Pickle Winkler battled it out for right field much of the season and both are returning.

In the circle, plenty of Cardinals will be back. Alyssa Zabala, the freshman ace, will be back and most likely be the go-to pitcher. She will have Gabby Holloway, Sam Booe, and Cassie Grizzard in the bullpen with her.

Louisville's top pinch runner, Mia Forsythe, should be back as well. Maddi Grant, who made an impact as a pinch hitter late in the season, should also be returning.

The entire coaching staff should be back again next year. Holly Aprile took over as head coach in the summer of 2018 with her first season with the Cards being in 2019. A majority of her tenure at Louisville has been during the COVID-19 pandemic, but has helped lead Louisville to a pair of 35+ win seasons and two NCAA Regional appearances.

Griffin Joiner has been with Louisville since Holly Aprile took over as head coach and specializes in the pitchers. She has been responsible for helping develop both Megan Hensley and Taylor Roby.

Bryce Neal just wrapped his second season as an assistant coach for the Cards. He specializes in the offense, and Louisville's offense has already improved in that short span.

Casey Bonk followed Holly Aprile from Pitt and has been the Director of Operations since. She is responsible for anything ranging from travel plans, to scheduling, to organizing teams to join the Cards on the field prior to home games, and so much more.

2024 Expectations

With a heavy amount of the starters returning who feature plenty of firepower, expectations will be high next season for the Cards. A 35+ win season should be within reach again.

While the home run totals might drop significantly due to the departure of Roby and File, the batting averages and multi-base hits should still be there. Louisville has plenty of speed returning next year in Otis, Lotus, Alexander, Hess Geraghty, Miller, Gordon, and Winkler. That group was a combined 78-89 (.877) in stolen base attempts They also combined for 87 extra base hits.

The returning group of pitchers combined for 229 innings pitched, 893 batters faced, and 195 strikeouts. Roby won't be around to fall back on anymore so Zabala should command the top spot while Booe, Holloway, and left-handed pitcher Grizzard should all see an increase in innings pitched.

There's plenty of time in the offseason to see what freshmen and incoming transfers will join the Louisville roster for next season, but the addition of new players should just help increase expectations. If you're looking for a women's program on the rise, Louisville softball is the place to go to.

Happy Tuesday and Go Cards!

Jared

Cards Drop Game One of NCAA Tournament -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Two Late Homers Not Enough in 4-3 Loss

Korbe Otis got things started in the "Home Run Regional" almost as quickly as she could have, smoking a line drive shot over the center field wall to lead off the game. The only way it could have been any faster is if she had done it on the first pitch of the at-bat instead of the third. Easton Lotus got ahold of her third pitch as well, sending it down the left field line past third for a single. Two more hard hit balls in the inning would come next, but their results would be less than ideal. Taylor Roby sent one hard to the shortstop and got a terrible break out of the batter's box. The shortstop was fielding the ball before Roby crossed the plate, leading to an easy 6-4-3 double-play. Sarah Gordon tested the short stop again with another fast grounder, but the ball once more out ran her to first.

Yesterday's game was quite the different start for the Cards than their first matchup against IU. The cast of characters were largely the same. Brianna Copeland was in the circle for the Hoosiers in the top of the first inning with Alyssa Zabala taking the position in the bottom half. The offense wasn't on hand that evening in early April, though. Otis, Lotus, and Gordon hit three straight groundouts to let Copeland off the hook after just 15 pitches. The bottom half was also a bit better for Louisville. In the first game, a 10-5 IU victory, the Hoosiers scored three in the bottom of each of the first two innings, holding a 6-1 lead after two. 

Zabala opened the bottom half of yesterday's game with a three-pitch strikeout. She followed that up with a first-pitch HBP to put a runner on first. In real time, I commented that the pitch looked awfully close to the zone (implying the batter was leaning over the plate), but no replay was shown. For what it's worth (not much), a couple of innings later, the announcers praised how Kern crowds the plate and dares pitchers to throw inside. The NCAA rule clarifies that a base is not awarded if a pitch is in the zone or if the pitch is not completely in the batter's box and the batter does not make any attempt to avoid being hit. So... yeah. Anyway, with a runner on first and one out, a full-count single put runners on first a second. A ball into the outfield was to a hard-charging Otis, but her throw home was cutoff to hold the trailing runner at second. Tie game. Zabala continued to find the bats, this time to her counterpart Copeland, but Ally Alexander was on hand at third to glove the grounder and turn it into a nifty double play to limit the damage.

Copeland settled in in the second, sitting the Cards down 1-2-3 to bring her offense back to the plate. Once more, Zabala opened the inning with an out, but she gave up a free base (this time a walk) and back-to-back singles again to score another run. A flyout to Pickle Winkler (who has a cannon) prevented any hope of a sacrifice, but a full-count walk to Kern loaded the bases. Zabala was able to induce a grounder right back to the circle to get out of the jam, but her toss over to first very nearly pulled Hannah File from the bag, which would have been a disastrous error to continue the inning. Fortunately, File completed the stretch and the Cards headed back to the dugout.

What followed in the third can only be described as both very odd and (likely) very impactful. Alexander and Paige Geraghty lined out and struck out to give the Cards two quick outs while turning over the order. Korbe Otis singled and then successfully stole her 22nd base on 22 attempts this season. In response, the Hoosiers walked Easton Lotus. This was definitely a choice that was available to them, bringing up one of the top home run hitters in the country, but it was the choice they made. As it turned out, it didn't matter who was at the plate. On the first (or second - it's blurry) pitch, the IU catcher threw behind Otis at second and caught her completely asleep on the base paths. In a pickle, Otis had nowhere to go and ran hard at third but was easily tagged out to end the inning.

Then it got worse. Facing the heart of the order for the second time, the bats came to play against Zabala. We talked a bit on the show last week about how Zabala has been more efficient in getting outs but she has been more susceptible to throwing a meatball. Meatball number one of the inning came against the first batter, who sent one to straightaway center. Korbe Otis leaped at the wall, and the ball appeared to bounce off the top of the wall or her head or something before hitting a sign beyond the wall and coming back into the field of play. A home run was called and there was a brief conversation between Otis, Aprile, and an umpire. I'm not sure what their argument was, unless they just didn't see it clearly. The ball definitely left the field of play before returning, as it hit what I believe was the same sign Otis's homer bounced off of in the first. Unless there's a rule I'm unaware of that a ball off a leaping defender is a GRD instead of a home run, there wasn't much to discuss. IU led 3-1. The second meatball came three pitches later and there was no discussion about this one. Copeland (who the announcers had been sure to tell us absolutely dominated the entire team in the weight room) sent one over all the signage and nearly to the train tracks in left center field. 4-1 Hoosiers and the end of Zabala's day.

Taylor Roby came in to pitch and immediately got a grounder to pick up what looked like the first out of the inning. Unlike the end of the second, the umpire wasn't as generous with File's stretch, though, and ruled that Daisy Hess's throw had pulled her off the bag. Roby kept her head down, worked the next batter, and got another ground ball sent to Hess. This time, Hess calmly hit Lotus at second who turned and fired for the double-play. No harm done on the error. A pop-out to Hess fully redeemed her and the inning was over. 

The weird baserunning error in the top of the third wasn't done affecting Louisville. Since Roby didn't officially have an at-bat, she returned to the box in the top of the fourth - this time as the pitcher instead of the designated player. She fouled away the first pitch and then checked her swing on the second. As she trotted to first, ESPN scrambled for a replay while IU began their arguments. The umpires conferred, determining that Roby had both held up the swing and that the ball had not hit the bat. They needed only to look at Louisville's ace at first sorely trying to work her pitching hand. Pickle Winkler headed to first to pinch run and Roby headed to the bullpen. Sarah Gordon fouled out (although Copeland very nearly dropped it), and Hannah File singled up the middle. A fielder's choice kept runners on first and second for Louisville but gave them two outs. Makayla Hurst pinch hit and sent a floater into center field. As the lead runner with two outs, File (a sixth-year senior) knew very well that her job was to run on contact. That said, she didn't do it. It happens. File hesitated briefly before leaving second, and, as a result, had to retreat to third after a big turn rather than easily scoring on the play. Alexander grounded hard to second base, but it was fielded cleanly and the inning was over. Louisville still trailed 4-1.

Despite everyone's fears, Roby returned to the circle for the bottom of the inning. She forced a line-out and a ground-out before a double put another runner in scoring position. Another ground out ended the inning and Louisville was still clinging on to touching distance. A three-up three-down inning didn't do much to boost their confidence. However, Roby remained dialed in. She again got two quick outs before allowing a base hit. Once more, a grounder ended the inning. As she did a couple of innings prior, Roby led off the inning. This time, she didn't fuss around with an HBP. She smoked a ball to left center, aiming for the general area that Copeland had sent one earlier. She didn't quite get it there, but the result was the same: 4-2. Copeland responded with a pair of strikeouts before getting a ground out from Hess to end the inning.

Image from UofL Athletics

With the bottom of the order up, a pop-out gave Louisville a quick advantage by getting the first out before the top of the order. It was critical, too, as a bunt single and a single up the middle put two runners on with 3-4-5 due up. A foul out from Kern (who had been on base in each of her first three at-bats) and a strikeout from Minnick (who was now alone in second in home runs after Roby moved into a tie for first) ended the inning. The seventh inning saw Louisville hit their third lead-off home run of the game. This time it was Vanessa Miller, and it was her first home run of the season. Alexander grounded out before Maddi Grant drew a pinch-hit walk. Louisville looked to have the momentum with the top of the order up, but they couldn't pass the bat. Korbe Otis hit a grounder to third for a fielder's choice and Easton Lotus grounded out to second on a 3-1 pitch to end the game. 

Louisville's loss was their fifth straight, though there is a bit of a caveat to go along with that. The first three of this current skid came on the road at Florida State. The last loss was at the ACC tournament in the 4-5 game of a single-elimination bracket and they should have tied the game after trailing by six if not for a questionable call at the plate. In this game, Louisville was not favored. It was a rematch against a team that has already beaten them. That said, they had the chance to win this game. They gave up too much on the defensive end and they made mistakes on offense in key moments. We're to the point now where it is win or go home. Louisville must win four straight games in two days if they want to advance out of the regional. At least two of those wins would need to come against a team they will have already played in the regional (IU two more times or IU once and Tennessee once). 

There's no time to look ahead, though. If Louisville wants to stay alive, they can only do so one game at a time. The first opponent is NKU, who Louisville has already beaten twice this year. The Norse, who stunned everyone by winning the Horizon League championship to make the tournament after a 19-29 regular season, were no hit by Tennessee yesterday in a five-inning 12-0 run rule. NKU gave up one run in the first and none in the second before Tennessee exploded for six in the third and five in the fourth. On offense, they drew two walks and struck out for 9/15 outs. Louisville defeated NKU way back in March when they opened Ulmer with the Cardinal Classic. The home opener was a 7-0 win, and Louisville bounced back from a pair of losses to Northwestern by closing the weekend with a 2-0 victory. 

It's anyone's guess who will get the start for the Cards today. I'd say it's likely to be Zabala, since she pitched fewer innings yesterday. However, it's not like Roby isn't used to going on short rest. Roby, who pitched four innings yesterday compared to Zabala's 2+, pitched six full innings against NKU in the first game while Zabala tossed a complete game in the second. It's important to note that the regional is set up for all of the loser's bracket games to be played today rather than one tomorrow morning, so that will likely play into the pitching decision. Louisville's first game today is set for 3:30PM or 35 minutes after the conclusion of the first game of the day (1PM). The final elimination game is scheduled for 6PM or 35 minutes after the conclusion of the 3:30 game. If Louisville can make quick work of the Norse and get a longer break, that would surely be welcome. All of today's games will be on ESPN+ only. 

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

We're without Daryl this week as she participates in a golf scramble that may see more beers consumed in the clubhouse than balls hit on the course. Four should be plenty to cover yesterday's matchup and preview today's game, though, plus get into who knows what else. As always, you can check out the live stream of the show by going to the Cardinal Couple YouTube page and clicking on the live video. Jeff usually creates that about an hour before the show, which officially starts at 11 AM Eastern. If the live time doesn't work for you, there are plenty of playback options, so be sure to check out whichever is best for you!

Cardinal Couple YouTube: Link

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Apple Podcasts: Link

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Overcast (free account required): Link

Pocket Casts (free account and app required): Link

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Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

Softball Begins ACC Tournament -- ACC Softball Awards -- THURSDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Softball Opens ACC Tournament Against Virginia Tech

Louisville softball opens up their 2023 ACC Tournament trip against 5-seed Virginia Tech. The Cards and Hokies did not face each other this year. Virginia Tech swept the series last season in Blacksburg and hold a 15-8 advantage over UofL all time.

The Cards enter the tournament as the 4-seed after going 16-7 in conference play and 35-17 overall. Taylor Roby and Alyssa Zabala have been the dynamic duo in the circle this season, commanding a majority of the time. They have 2.42 and 2.84 ERAs, respectively. Sam Booe, Gabby Holloway, and Cassie Grizzard have each contributed from the bullpen.

As a team, Louisville hits .317 with six Cards hitting above .300. Korbe Otis leads the charge at .399 with 67 hits. Roby's 22 home runs is a team-high and is tied for the lead nationally. Six Cards have at least 24 RBI's. Sarah Gordon leads the team in doubles with 12 while Otis has seven triples. 

The Cards' woes have mainly come from a defensive standpoint with a plethora of fielding and throwing errors. Louisville has had great success with zero or one errors per game while anything above that has been a factor in a majority of the losses.

Virginia Tech enters the game 36-17 on the year with a 14-10 ACC record. They've found success from the defensive end. However, they have run-ruled 11 opponents this year.

The Hokies hit .298 as a team with just four regulars hitting above the .300 mark. Emma Ritter paces the team with 61 hits and a .365 batting average. They have five players with double-digit home runs Bre Peck leading the team with 15.

Emma Lemley has been the ace for Virginia Tech. She carries a 3.37 ERA with 262 strikeouts against just 42 walks. Lyndsey Grein has also seen a fair amount of time in the circle with a 4.08 ERA. She has recorded 89 strikeouts to 39 walks.

Louisville and Virginia Tech will take the field at 1:30 p.m. today and will be aired on ACC Network.

In the first day of action, 9-seed Syracuse took down 8-seed Virginia 8-2 and 10-seed Georgia Tech upset host 7-seed Notre Dame 8-1.

Several Softball Accolades in ACC

The ACC awards and teams were announced yesterday and there was no shortage of recognition for Louisville players.

Sarah Gordon was named ACC Freshman of the Year. The catcher has played every game this season behind the plate. She ranks second on the team with a .385 batting average and 62 hits while her 12 doubles is a team high.

Gordon is the first player in Louisville history to be named ACC Freshman of the Year. She was recently named to the National Freshman of the Year Top 25 list. Gordon was also named to the All-ACC First Team.

Korbe Otis joins Gordon on the All-ACC First Team. The sophomore center field led the team in batting average, hits, and triples this season. She was a perfect 8-8 in stolen bases and set the portogram record with a 35-game reached base streak.

Taylor Roby was the third Cardinal to be named to the All-ACC First Team. The graduate student retained her do-it-all role by leading the Cards in the circle with a 2.42 ERA and powering the team at the plate with 22 home runs and 55 rbis.

Daisy Hess was named to the All-ACC Second Team. The shortstop transferred into Louisville this season and made an immediate impact. She helped command a youthful infield while hitting .342 with 52 hits.

Easton Lotus was named to the All-ACC Third Team. After missing much of last season due to a leg injury, the sophomore started every game at second base. She closed out the regular season on a 16-game hitting streak and hit .291 with 48 hits on the year.

Alyssa Zabala was named to the All-ACC Third Team. The freshman pitcher was quick out of the gate this season with her impact on the pitching staff. Her 14 wins was best on the team as were her 87 strikeouts. Zabala carried a 2.84 ERA but just a 1.19 WHIP.

We hope to see plenty more in the future with so much young talent on the team.

Happy Thursday and Go Cards!

Jared

Softball Falls Short in Tallahassee -- DERBY DAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Cards' Rally Not Enough in 6-4 Loss

Louisville gave FSU all that they could handle in game one of the final weekend series of the season, but the Seminoles ultimately came away with the win and clinched the ACC regular season title in the process. Louisville stayed in touching distance throughout the game, but left the bases loaded in the top of the seventh to end the game. Today and tomorrow's games will be on ACC Network proper as the Cards are still playing for third place in the league. Louisville needed a sweep to stay ahead of Duke for second place, and they'll need to win the series to beat Clemson for third. Louisville has shown that they have some surprises in store, so we'll see what the rest of the weekend brings.

As for last night's game, Louisville was a bit lucky that things didn't get out of hand early. The Cards went 1-2-3 in both of the first two innings while Florida State put runners in scoring position with one out in each inning. The bottom of the first saw an error move runners to second and third before a pop out and a strikeout got Taylor Roby out of the jam. A walk and a steal led to the RISP in the second, but this time Roby induced a pair of grounders. 

The top of the third saw Louisville finally get on base. Pickle Winkler, batting in the eight hole, was the first Cardinal to get the ball out of the infield, and she did so by singling to right center. Her efforts were erased by a groundout fielder's choice and a groundout to end the inning. The third also saw increased success for FSU. Instead of reaching base for the first time, the Seminoles reached home. A pair of singles would have put runners on first and second, but an error in the outfield moved the batter to third and brought the leadoff hitter home to score. Louisville was in a 1-0 hole with nobody out and a runner at third. A pop out saved the run for one more batter but a single scored her next. A foul out gave the Cards two outs but their third error of the night put two runners on and chased Roby from the circle. Alyssa Zabala came in and got a strikeout to end the threat. Louisville trailed 2-0.

The Seminole lead was short-lived. Easton Lotus lined out but Taylor Roby poured a single into center. Vanessa Miller came on to pinch run, but, as has happened before, Sarah Gordon made the substitution moot with a home run. A fly out and a pop out followed, but Louisville had tied things up at two. Like Florida State, Louisville had no time to celebrate their small victory. After a ground out, Zabala gave up three straight singles, with the third scoring a run. A good throw in and a poor rounding of third by the FSU baserunner allowed Gordon to throw back to the bag to get the second out. With runners at first and second and two outs instead of the bases loaded and one out, the flyout Zabala induced next ended the inning. The Cards responded to going down 3-2 with another three up, three down inning.

FSU welcomed Zabala to the fifth with another single and Holly Aprile had seen enough. Gabby Holloway came in and immediately gave up a single of her own. This one was deep enough for the runner to go from first to third, and the throw across the diamond allowed the batter to advance to second. A fly out tacked a second run onto Zabala's line as her runner came in to score, but Louisville was able to double up the runner from second by throwing straight to third instead of home on the sacrifice. A hit-by-pitch put runners on the corners but a ground out ended the threat. Officially, Holloway would go down as the only one of six combined pitchers thrown by the two teams (seven if you count the FSU starter reentering) to not allow a run. Nevertheless, Louisville was now down 4-2.

The top of the sixth saw the top of Louisville's order up, and Korbe Otis started the inning the way she probably wished she started the game. After beating out a bang-bang play (the Cardinal Couple crew was split on the decision), her being on base became a big deal when Lotus singled to right center. Big deal you say, right? Well it was when the FSU shortstop erred to move Lotus to second and score Otis. Three quick outs ended the inning but the Cards had clawed a run back.

Sam Booe entered to take on the home half of the sixth and two quick singles looked quite negative. Booe bounced back to get a pair of outs and runners stood at first and second with two down. Booe would get a foul out to end the inning, but not before a double scored both runners. FSU led 6-3 entering the last frame for the visitors. The Cards put on their rally caps and drew two walks to open the inning. Someone must have moved in their seat, though, as those two runners with nobody out quickly turned into two runners with two outs after a strikeout and a pop out. Otis got things back on track with a walk to load the bases, and Lotus fired a shot right back at the pitcher, who couldn't field it cleanly. Everyone moved up sixty feet and the score moved to 6-4. Into the box stepped the NCAA leader in home runs with the bases juiced and a two-run ball game. It wasn't meant to be, though, as a strikeout meant the #3 Seminoles survived the upset bid.

As I said before, Louisville still has plenty to play for, and a win would go a long way toward boosting their NCAA tournament resume. The two teams will square off for game two of the series at 2PM today on ACC Network before wrapping on Sunday at Noon, also on ACCN. Tune in to see if the Cards can make some magic happen.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

If you listened to last week's show or have followed along with the site the last couple of weeks or have kept up with the site for years, you'll know we're off this week. It's Derby Week in the Derby City and that means that Saturday is jam packed full of other stuff. We'll be back next week to discuss the ACC Softball Tournament and any other news and notes that come up as part of the joy and excitement of UofL women's athletics. 

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

PS - Check out Paulie's Picks to be more informed on your Derby Day. A little birdie told me it was a pretty successful Oaks Day for our fearless leader. 

Cards Thump BC to Open Weekend -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Homers and Small Ball Lift Cards to Run Rule

In the opening game of Louisville's home finale weekend, the Cards gave fans something to be excited about as they send off their seniors. Despite an early run by Boston College and a slow start offensively for Louisville, the Cards used a big fifth inning to take control of the game and earned a walk-off run rule an inning later. When all was said and done, Louisville had earned their seventh straight win with a 10-2 victory.

BC opened the scoring in the top of the first when the first five batters were able to put the bat on the ball against Alyssa Zabala. The first two both singled, and the next three grounded out. Unfortunately, those ground outs were productive, moving the runners in both of the first two instances to bring around the leadoff hitter to score. Zabala stranded the runner at third and turned the ball over to her counterpart in the circle. Louisville was also seeing the ball well early. A hard liner by Korbe Otis was caught at short, but Easton Lotus reached base on a walk. After Taylor Roby fouled out, Sarah Gordon also walked. Daisy Hess broke the trend of odd-positioned players in the order getting out and sent a double to right to score Lotus. The Cards left two in scoring position, but they tied the game 1-1.

Zabala settled in a bit, finally getting an out that didn't depend on the defense with a strikeout for the second out of the second inning. A single opened the inning, but the strikeout split a pair of groundouts for no damage. Vanessa Miller opened the bottom half of the inning with a four-pitch walk and Paige Geraghty singled two batters later to put a pair on. A wild pitch to Otis put two runners in scoring position, but she would ultimately strike out. Lotus grounded out to end the inning and leave both runners on.

The ground balls continued for Zabala until they didn't. After two more ground outs opened the third, a BC batter finally got under the ball instead of on top of it. Hannah Slike, the three-spot hitter for the Eagles, got ahold of a 1-0 pitch to send a home run over the left field wall. It was her seventh home run of the season, leading the team. A pop-out ended the top half with BC back on top by a run, 2-1. Their lead didn't last long. Taylor Roby opened the bottom half of the third with a solo shot of her own to level the game back at 2. Like Slike, Roby is Louisville's leader in home runs. Unlike Slike, Roby is also the NCAA leader in home runs. The third inning blast was her 20th of the year. The homer rattled the BC pitcher a bit, as Louisville followed it up with a walk and two singles. The second, by Hannah File, scored Gordon from second to give Louisville its first lead. Louisville went on to load the bases with one out after a strikeout, a steal, and an intentional walk. Unfortunately, a liner straight to third ended the inning when the third baseman caught it and stepped on the bag for the double-play. Louisville led 3-2. They would not yield that lead.

The fourth was relatively uneventful, with both teams getting a runner on base without the benefit of a hit. BC got a hit by pitch to split two strikeouts and Roby was pitched around to earn a walk for Louisville. BC threatened a bit in the fifth, with a single and a walk putting two runners on. Slike was unable to capitalize, though, and she grounded into a double play. 

The Cards then went to work. Daisy Hess earned a nine-pitch walk to open the inning. Needing many fewer pitches than that, Hannah File sent her tenth homer of the year over the wall on the second pitch of her at-bat to score two. Maddi Grant pinch hit for Miller, but her time in the game was short lived after she walked and Miller immediately replaced her back on the base paths. Ally Alexander bunted Miller over, and Makayla Hurst also earned a pinch hit walk, this time for Geraghty. Just like Grant, Hurst was replaced at first right away. Korbe Otis stepped up with runners on first and second and singled to center. The hit was deep enough for Miller to score, and the ensuing throw by the center fielder was off-line. Geraghty scored on the throw and Otis advanced to second. Easton Lotus hit a full-count triple to right to score Otis, and the success of batters ahead gave Roby big eyes. She was first pitch swinging for the fences but was rewarded with just a pop out. Gordon knocked a two-out double to score Lotus and the Cards officially batted around in the inning. They'd go no farther than Hess, though, as she flew out to center to end the inning. With a two-run home run and three more RBI hits, Louisville left the inning leading 9-2. One more would have ended the game, but the teams played on.

Sam Booe entered for Zabala in the top of the sixth and made short work of the Eagles. Despite needing 11 pitches to force a foul out from the leadoff batter, Booe got a one-pitch ground out and a three-pitch foul out to end the inning 1-2-3. File opened the bottom half for Louisville with a single. She was obviously in pain at first, with a nagging injury suffered at Virginia coming back to haunt her late in this one, and asked to be removed. Elana Ornelas was brought on to pinch run, and she advanced to second after Miller was hit by a pitch. Ally Alexander swatted a full-count single into left field and Ornelas came around for the walk-off run. Final score: 10-2.

Ornelas's entry in the sixth meant every senior being honored this weekend appeared in this one with the exception of Taja Felder. It's a little surprising to see her not get a nod in the circle with Louisville so far ahead, but we will see what the rest of the weekend brings. Hurst earned the pinch hit walk, and Roby and File both homered. While Roby's day was a bit light, the solo home run being joined only by a walk, File had a big afternoon. Her home run was part of a 3-4 day with three RBIs. Hopefully she's able to return to the field without pain from that leg injury.

Sarah Gordon isn't a senior, but she also found herself being honored this week. Gordon was named to the Top-25 List for the National Freshman of the Year award. Two more cut downs will happen with a Top Ten announced on May 11th and three finalists named on May 25th. The winner will be announced on May 30th in Oklahoma City ahead of the WCWS. Gordon joins Megan Hensley and Maryssa Becker as players to have been named to the list. No Cardinal has won the award. Gordon is second on the team in batting average with a .404 (Otis: .411) and RBI with 42 (Roby: 51). She's also tied for third with Otis in home runs with eight, trailing Roby's 20 and File's 10. She's one of four Cardinals with an OPS over 1.000, sitting at third with a 1.122. Joining her are Roby (1.357), Otis (1.205), and File (1.094). She has started all 47 games as a freshman.

Leading up to this series, I talked quite a bit about how these were must win games. Louisville didn't start it out very convincingly, but they ultimately picked up their seventh straight win and their tenth run-rule victory of the year. They've edged ahead of Duke into 3rd in the ACC on winning percentage. One more win would put the Cards out of reach of Virginia Tech or UNC for fourth in the conference, which would be a great result for Louisville. I think it's fair to say our expectations remain higher, though. That said, assuming Duke wins their last two against Pitt, Louisville would need to complete the sweep this weekend and sweep the Seminoles in Tallahassee next weekend to finish third in the league. Such a performance would give them a chance to win the ACC, which would be quite the coup. I'll settle for completing the sweep this weekend and letting the chips fall where they may next weekend.

The series against Boston College continues today at 2PM. The game will be on ACC Network proper. Let's hope the weather cooperates for the teams, with some light rain in the forecast.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

After taking last week off, we're back with a show this weekend. There will be four of us on as we recap the last couple of weeks for Louisville spring sports. Despite some interesting sound bites of late, we'll stay on brand and bring you the joy and excitement of UofL women's athletics. As always, you can check out the live stream of the show by going to the Cardinal Couple YouTube page and clicking on the live video. Jeff usually creates that about an hour before the show, which officially starts at 11 AM Eastern. If the live time doesn't work for you, there are plenty of playback options, so be sure to check out whichever is best for you!

Cardinal Couple YouTube: Link

Anchor (podcast host): Link

Apple Podcasts: Link

Google Podcasts: Link

Overcast (free account required): Link

Pocket Casts (free account and app required): Link

RadioPublic: Link

Spotify: Link

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

Photos by Jared Anderson

Cards Get Opening Win at Virginia; Walz Adds Another -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

Roby and Otis Deliver Milestone Homers in 5-3 Win

In a game that saw both teams hit two home runs to provide the only scoring, Louisville came out ahead with a 5-3 victory over Virginia in the opening game of their three game weekend set. As Jared mentioned yesterday, this series is critical for Louisville to stay in the hunt for an NCAA tournament bid and to stay ahead of Virginia Tech (1.5 games back) for fourth in the ACC. A win last night helps to get the weekend started in a positive way.

While things ended up positive for Louisville, it didn't look great early. Korbe Otis singled to lead off the game, wasting no time in starting a new on-base streak, but the next three batters headed back to the dugout on a sacrifice bunt, a line out, and a pop out. Alyssa Zabala took the circle for the Cards and induced a ground out to open the inning. She gave up a single to the two-hole hitter but got a foul out to give the defense two outs. Unfortunately, the number of outs is a bit irrelevant when the cleanup hitter goes yard. A pop up ended the inning, but the Hoos led 2-0.

The second saw Louisville get a runner on base but leave none stranded in a 4-up, 3-down situation. After a ground out by Sarah Gordon, Daisy Hess laid down a bunt single. Pickle Winkler hit a line shot to center field that was caught, leaving Hess on first with two outs. That's not so odd, right? Except Ally Alexander wouldn't see an official at-bat. Hess was caught stealing to end the top half of the inning. After settling in a bit during the break, Zabala sat Virginia down 1-2-3.

In the third, Alexander stepped back to the plate just as she had the inning prior. She snagged a lead off single and was bunted to second by Paige Geraghty. Otis sent another liner into the outfield, but her hit was also right at a fielder, just like Winkler's. Easton Lotus delivered a single, but it stayed in the infield, advancing Alexander only to third. A ground out ended the inning, stranding two on base and leaving the Cards down 2-0. Still going strong, Zabala retired her fifth, sixth, and seventh straight batters.

The fourth inning was the big one. Taylor Roby opened with a second-pitch solo shot to center field to cut Virginia's lead in half. Gordon followed with a first-pitch single, and Hess drew a full-count walk. That chased the Virginia starter, which looked to be a good move for the Cavaliers. Winkler popped out, but Makayla Hurst loaded the bases with a pinch-hit walk. Geraghty put the ball in play, and the Cards narrowly avoided disaster with a force out at the plate that didn't turn into a double-play to end the inning. One extra chance was all they needed. Korbe Otis stepped into the box and sent a 3-1 pitch to left center for her first career grand slam. Lotus struck out, but Louisville had done its damage. The Cards hit two home runs in the inning and put five runs on the board to flip the advantage. Now trailing, Virginia was fired up to get back into it, but Zabala made quick work of them, using just seven pitches to get her third straight clean inning.

Louisville was quiet in the fifth, earning just a walk, but it was moot with Zabala continuing her fantastic start after the first inning home run. Six pitches retired the side in the fifth inning and five pitches was all it took in the sixth. The sixth inning for Louisville showed a lot of promise. The Cards threatened by loading the bases with a two-out rally (with the help of an error), but they couldn't capitalize and the teams headed to the seventh with the score still 5-2.

Louisville got another pair of runners on base in the top of the seventh but one negated the other. Neither came around to score, meaning Virginia needed three runs to keep the game going and four to win. Zabala reentered for her seventh inning of work, having thrown only 63 pitches in the first six innings. Just as she had over the previous five innings, Zabala retired the first two batters. Abby Weaver was committed to not going down without a fight, though, and she matched Roby's fifth inning solo shot with one of her own to break Zabala's out streak at 17. The home run made it 5-3, but that was the final as a pop out ended the game. 

Alyssa Zabala, take a bow. Three runs on three hits in a complete game win. Is it great that two of those hits were home runs? No. However, it is great that she gave up no walks and had one strikeout as part of the aforementioned 17 out streak. Louisville's offense gave her the cover she needed, and she threw a complete game in only 75 pitches. In comparison, Virginia needed 122 pitches from their three pitchers to get the same 21 outs. It was a fantastic outing that would have been terribly undersold if Louisville hadn't managed to show up at the plate. But they did, so I'm giving Zabala her flowers. Zabala had been a bit cooler of late, and it seemed a bit like the college season was getting to the freshman. I'm happy to report that it appears to have been just a minor slump and Zabala is ready to keep showing her stuff in the critical part of the year.

In the win, Taylor Roby hit a solo home run to set a program record with 18 homers in a single season. Already the owner of the career home run record, Roby has eight regular season games remaining to extend her single season record. She seems likely to do so and it seems like a record likely to stand for quite some time. We talked a lot about how last season saw her struggle at the plate and in the circle due to the overwork and steep expectations at both positions. It didn't manifest right away this year, but it seems clear that Roby has thrived by not being depended on as the only arm and the biggest bat.

Korbe Otis held an on-base streak of 35 games prior to the win at Western Kentucky earlier this week. While it was unfortunate for her to miss out, she didn't let it cloud her play going forward. Otis had three hits in four at-bats in this one, with the aforementioned grand slam being the big one. Her run scored from the homer moves her alone into fifth on Louisville's single season runs scored list. She's now two behind Carmyn Greenwood's 2022 season for fourth and just 12 away from tying the record of 64 set by Melissa Roth in 2009.

Louisville and Virginia will face off again tonight at 6PM. The game will be streamed on ACC Network Extra. A 4PM start wraps up the series tomorrow on ACC Network proper. Louisville will look for a pair of big wins before returning to Ulmer next weekend for their home finale series against Boston College. The Cards wrap up the regular season on the road against league-leading Florida State on Derby Weekend, so wins this weekend and next are key.

Sydney Taylor Commits to Louisville

Another day means another roster addition for Jeff Walz and the Louisville women's basketball squad, apparently. After getting a commitment from Nina Rickards Thursday, last night saw a commitment from Sydney Taylor, a transfer from UMass. Taylor, a 5-9 guard out of Long Island, will officially be a grad transfer. She played in 17 games during her freshman year and started in all 90 games she played over the next three seasons. She was on the All-Championship team for the A-10 as a sophomore and as a junior, and she was named to the A-10 All-Conference Second Team in her junior year. As a senior, Taylor was First Team All-Conference and made the All-Academic Team as well. 

Jared mentioned yesterday that Rickards was not known for being a three-point threat. The same can't be said for Taylor. Taylor averaged 16.1 points per game and scored her 1,000th career point in November. She scored a season high of 30 points at Dayton in late January, led by a career-best seven threes. Overall, Taylor led the Atlantic 10 in made threes and threes per game with 104 (3.2 per game). Those marks were tied for seventh and tied for sixth in the NCAA, respectively. As a junior, she averaged 15.9 points and was 2nd/20th in the conference and NCAA in threes per game. Overall, her senior season saw her shoot 41% from the floor, 38.5% from three, and 81% from the line. She added 5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.94 steals, and 2.5 turnovers per game. Not a major part of any 5-9 guard's game, she had just five blocks on the year. She averaged 2.5 fouls per game, highest on the team, but fouled out just once. 

Taylor's pickup now gives Louisville enough players to play 5-on-5 in practice without the volunteer practice squad, but I expect she won't be the last addition to the 2023-24 roster.

No Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

With today being the start of Louisville's holiday season (Thunder Over Louisville), we'll be taking the week off from the show. Looking ahead, we're planning to record an episode next week before also having Derby Day off. It should be full steam ahead into the summer after that, with hopefully plenty of post-season softball to discuss.

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case

Beautiful Evening; Ugly Softball -- SATURDAY CARDINAL COUPLE

BREAKING: HVL is in the Transfer Portal

All good things must come to an end. As the transfer portal gives, it can also take away. Rising senior guard Hailey Van Lith has decided that her time with Louisville has come to a close and has entered the transfer portal. We'll, of course, be monitoring the situation and will have more information as it's available. Entering the portal isn't transferring, but the return rate is quite slim. It's shocking news, but we'll just have to wait and see how it all shakes out.

Cards Avoid Run Rule; Fall 13-6

After holding Notre Dame to just one run, getting a stellar pitching performance from Taylor Roby in relief Thursday night, and scattering just six hits and no runs for the entire game, Louisville entered a bizarro world last night. Louisville scored six runs last night, but Roby gave up six earned runs in just 1.1 innings, and Notre Dame wasn't done scoring. Louisville trailed 3-1 after one inning, 8-3 after two, and 10-3 after three. The Cards were able to hold off the five-inning run rule, scoring three runs after going down by ten in the top of the fourth, but they were still well out of reaching distance. A beautiful sunset was the backdrop for a less than stellar performance from the Cards pitching staff and Louisville dropped their first conference series since the first of the season against Duke.

Notre Dame got to work early, putting their first three runners on base. When the lead-off batter advanced to third on a bunt single from the second hitter, Louisville should have been wary of the speed of the Notre Dame offense. A steal put runners on second and third with no outs. A single scored a run and another steal put two runners back in scoring position. On a grounder, Louisville made the wrong fielder's choice, allowing another run to score, getting no outs, and putting runners on the corners. A strikeout finally recorded an out for the Cards, but they fell for the double steal play. Sarah Gordon found Daisy Hess at second to get the second out of the inning with a caught stealing, but the runner from third waltz home in the meantime. A ground out ended the top half with the Cards down 3-0.

Louisville got to work quickly as well, and it looked like the two teams may be in for a scoring fest. Korbe Otis liked ND's idea of a bunt single, so she did it too, advancing to second on an errant throw. Sarah Gordon hit a deep fly ball to right that acted as a sacrifice, sending Otis to third. Hannah File was intentionally walked and Taylor Roby got a two-strike gift with an HBP (it was probably a painful gift). With one out and the bases loaded, Louisville had the opportunity they had been looking for, but Hess struck out to put them in a position to miss out completely. Makayla Hurst stepped in for Easton Lotus and took another painful gift, getting hit by the first pitch of the at bat to earn an RBI. Aly Alexander, unfortunately, flew out to end the inning. Louisville had shown life and gotten one back: 3-1.

Notre Dame, though, wasn't done exploding on offense. The first four batters put the ball in play with a double and a pair of singles split by a ground out. The second single scored two runs and ended Taylor Roby's day. Sam Booe stepped in and was welcomed with a full count single and a three-run homer. The home run put Louisville in an 8-1 hole and woke Booe up. Booe has a habit of coming in and needing a couple of batters to get settled. It was an inconvenient time for that to happen in this game. A fly out and a pop out ended the Notre Dame outburst.

The bottom of Louisville's order went down quickly, turning over to Otis at the top with two outs. Down to her final strike and Louisville's chances dwindling, Otis nabbed a single to spark a two out rally. Gordon followed suit, and File drew a walk to load the bases. Having just been hammered in the top half, Taylor Roby got a bit of payback with a two run single to left field. File moved up to third when the pitcher fumbled the get-in throw, and Notre Dame made a pitching change after just 1.2 innings with an 8-3 lead. The new pitcher induced a pop-out to end the inning.

Sam Booe looked settled in, getting a first pitch ground out to retire her third straight batter. It looked like it would be four straight on a fly ball to right, but the catch was erred and the batter advanced to second. Vanessa Miller got another opportunity immediately after and made the catch to give Louisville a second out. Just like walks, though, errors will haunt. A single scored an unearned run and a triple scored another before Booe could get another flyout to end the inning. I understand the premise of any runs being scored with two outs after an error being unearned, but if another out has been tallied and then back-to-back batters have a single and a triple, I tend to give a little less grace to the pitcher getting the unearned runs. Either way, Louisville trailed 10-3. They responded with a 1-2-3 bottom half.

Cassie Grizzard took over in the top of the fourth, and she had just as much luck as Louisville's first two pitchers. She walked the first two batters and Louisville made another poor fielder's choice to load the bases with nobody out. A strikeout finally recorded an out, but a four pitch walk brought home a run. With a force at any out, a grounder to third got the second out while scoring a run and putting runners on first and second. The next batter hit a deep single, scoring a run before being thrown out trying to stretch it to a double. Louisville trailed 13-3 and was officially on run-rule watch.

Louisville got straight to work, getting a four pitch walk from Paige Geraghty and then seeing Korbe Otis reach for the third time in three tries on a single. A Sarah Gordon double (she was also productive in her first three at bats) scored a run and put runners on second and third with nobody out. A sac fly from File scored Otis, but Roby grounded out and Hess continued her evening to forget with another strikeout. Two runs kept the game alive, but Louisville still had work to do down 13-5.

Gabby Holloway took over in the top of the fifth and seemed to finally solve Notre Dame. She got a three-pitch swinging strikeout and a first pitch ground out to quickly take command of the inning. A full count walk briefly disrupted her, but a ground out ended the top half. Louisville's bottom half of the order started out less than thrillingly, with a pair of ground outs digging their hole even deeper, but Pickle Winkler coaxed a seven-pitch walk and Paige Geraghty singled. Korbe Otis stepped up and made her day even better by going to 4-4 and adding an RBI with a single. Gordon, unfortunately, couldn't keep up her hot day, as she ended the inning with a strikeout looking. Gordon had fouled off seven pitches in the at bat and was trying to finally lay off to fill the count when she watched the third strike instead of the third ball. 

Otis's single was the last RBI of the game for either team. Notre Dame got a single in the sixth and an HBP in the seventh, but Holloway was otherwise nails for Louisville, putting up three scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Louisville left two on base after a Roby walk and Lotus single were erased on a ground ball, and Otis was left on base in the seventh after getting on base for the fifth time the hard way. Not the hard way as in she drew a walk, but the hard way as in softballs are hard. Notre Dame hit three batters on the day, making me wonder if they're wild (they also had five walks) or if Louisville crowds the plate. Could be either or both. At any rate, Louisville was unable to score any of the seven runs they needed to get back into the game, and they fell 13-6.

This weekend has felt a bit like Goldilocks, with Louisville scoring too few runs and then Notre Dame scoring way too many. The Cards could really use a win today to avoid the sweep and get back on track for the remainder of the season. Louisville has some nice wins but they'll need more of them and fewer ugly losses (or losses to ugly teams) to make the NCAA tournament. After pitching just about the entire pen in last night's loss, I'd expect to see Alyssa Zabala get the start again this afternoon, but we also haven't seen Taja Felder in quite some time. Louisville and Notre Dame will wrap the series on ACC Network proper at 2PM.

Wins Away From Home

It wasn't all bad for Louisville yesterday. Louisville Track and Field is in Oxford, Mississippi participating in the Joe Walker invitational, and Aliyah Welter continued her dominance in relief of Gabriela Leon in the pole vault. Welter picked up her second win of the outdoor season. She had three during the indoor season. Zoe Yeast earned fourth with a PB in hammer throw and Katie Martin had a PB 24.38 in the 200m, good for ninth in the event. 

Louisville's spirit squads are in Daytona Beach for the NDA/NCA championships and they're bringing home some hardware. The All-Girl Cheerleading squad took first place to earn Louisville's 19th overall championship. Large Co-Ed, Small Co-Ed, and the Ladybirds (team performance) all finished second within 1.1 points of the winners. Additional championships (dance hip-hop, partner stunts, and cheer team) are on the agenda for today.

Cardinal Couple Radio Hour Podcast

We'll be without Daryl and Jared this morning, but this week's show got a lot spicier, so I'm sure Paulie, Jeff, and I will have plenty to cover the hour. We'll do our best to keep it about the joy and excitement of Louisville women's athletics, but down performances and bad news can make it a bit tough to stay positive. It's sure to be eventful, no matter what. As always, you can check out the live stream of the show by going to the Cardinal Couple YouTube page and clicking on the live video. Jeff usually creates that about an hour before the show, which officially starts at 11 AM Eastern. If the live time doesn't work for you, there are plenty of playback options, so be sure to check out whichever is best for you!

Cardinal Couple YouTube: Link

Anchor (podcast host): Link

Apple Podcasts: Link

Google Podcasts: Link

Overcast (free account required): Link

Pocket Casts (free account and app required): Link

RadioPublic: Link

Spotify: Link

Until next time, Go Cards!

Case